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Dick Harter

Dick Harter (1930-2012)

Teams coached: Rider Broncs, Penn Quakers, Oregon Ducks, Penn State Nittany Lions, Charlotte Hornets
Rider record: 16-9 (.640)
Penn record: 88-44 (.667)
Oregon record: 113-81 (.582)
Penn State record: 79-61 (.564)
Overall record^: 296-195 (.603)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  2  (1970, 1971)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  1  (1971)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  0
  • NIT Championships:  0
  • NIT Appearances:  4  (1975, 1976, 1977, 1980)
  • Ivy League Regular Season Champion:  2  (1970, 1971)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2007-2010 Indiana Pacers (asst)
2004-2007 Philadelphia 76ers (asst)
2001-2004 Boston Celtics (asst)
1997-2000 Indiana Pacers (asst)
1994-1997 Portland Trail Blazers (asst)
1991-1994 New York Knicks (asst)
1988-1990 Charlotte Hornets
1986-1988 Indiana Pacers (asst)
1983-1986 Detroit Pistons (asst)
1978-1983 Penn State
1971-1978 Oregon
1966-1971 Penn
1965-1966 Rider
1959-1965 Penn (asst)
1955-1956 Penn (frosh)

Dick Harter Facts

  • Richard Alvin Harter
  • Born October 14, 1930
  • Died March 12, 2012
  • Hometown: Pottstown, Pennsylvania
  • Alma Mater: University of Pennsylvania (BA, 1953)
  • After graduating from The Hill School (PA), Harter played for the Penn Quakers under head coach Howie Dallmar
    • Served two years in the US Marine Corps after college and returned to Penn to coach the freshmen in 1955-56
  • Spent three seasons as the head basketball coach at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, PA
  • Started his collegiate coaching career in earnest in 1959 as an assistant under Jack McCloskey at Penn
  • Left Penn to be the head coach at Rider in 1965 but then returned a year later to take over the Quakers’ program
    • Went 88-44 in five seasons at the helm, leading his alma mater to two Ivy League titles and two NCAA Tournaments
  • Headed out West in 1971 to become the head coach of the Oregon Ducks
    • Was 113-81 in six seasons at UO, going to three straight NITs and earning Pac-8 COY honors in 1977
    • Teams from his era are known as the “Kamikaze Kids” for their swarming defense and for the crowd’s raucousness
  • Returned to his home state in 1978 to take over the Penn State Nittany Lions program
    • Went 79-61 in five seasons, making one NIT but failing to reach the NCAA Tournament
  • Harter spent the last 27 years of his coaching career in the NBA, mostly as an assistant, working for seven different franchises
    • Was the first-ever head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, compiling a 28-94 record over one and a half seasons
    • Had three stints assisting with the Indiana Pacers and also worked for the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers
    • Head coaches Harter worked under during the latter part of his career include Jack McCloskey, Jack Ramsay, Pat Riley, P. J. Carlesimo, Larry Bird, Jim O’Brien (w/ three teams) and Maurice Cheeks
  • Passed away in 2012 after a battle with cancer at age 81, less than two years removed from his last game as a basketball coach

Dick Harter Coaching Tree

  • Perry Clark (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Miami FL, Tulane)
  • Ed DeChellis (Navy, Penn State, East Tennessee State)
  • Greg Graham (Boise State, Western New Mexico)
  • Jim Haney (Oregon)
  • Michael Holton (Portland)
  • Stu Jackson (Vancouver Grizzlies, Wisconsin, New York Knicks)
  • Rod Jensen (College of Idaho, Boise State)
  • Ernie Kent (Washington State, Oregon, Saint Mary’s)
  • Craig Littlepage (Rutgers, Penn)
  • Gene Littles (Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets)
  • Digger Phelps (Notre Dame, Fordham)
  • Kurt Rambis (New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers)
  • Dave Wohl (New Jersey Nets)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only